Alerts In Effect

Contact Us

Controlled Burning of Shiloh Battlefield in February

UPDATE: Prescribed burning has been delayed because of rains and severe weather. Please check back for further updates. Or contact the Visitor Center @ 731-689-5696.

Shiloh National Military Park will conduct a prescribed burn during the month of February. Park staff, with assistance from the Natchez Trace Parkway Fire Module, will burn a 162.5 acre unit bordered by Gladden and Eastern Corinth Roads to the west and southwest, Hamburg-Purdy Road to the north and northeast, and a 20-foot firebreak to the south and the southeast along the southeastern boundary of the battlefield.

Prescribed fire is a beneficial and cost-effective tool for managing several forest types, as well as grasslands. Historically, fire has played a natural role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem. A control burn reduces the build-up of dead woody debris, as well as reduces non-native vegetation, decreases risk of catastrophic wildfire, and provides habitat and forage for animals. Park management will schedule the burn sometime between February 6th and February 22nd, with weather being the determining factor. This will mark the first year that prescribed fire will be reintroduced to the park's forest ecosystem. Park management will plan future burns for the additional three units.

Warning signs will be placed along the border roads as a safety precaution to motorists and pedestrians. Motorists are expected to travel at a safe speed with their headlights on when smoke is present during the burn. They should also be alert for park rangers, wildland firefighters, and equipment along these roadways. For more information about Shiloh's control burn program, please contact Marcus Johnson at (731) 689-5696.